Letter: Green’s in Palm Beach a microcosim of how the world should be

Peter and Eileen Lehrer

Sunday

Apr 1, 2018 at 12:01 AMApr 1, 2018 at 5:34 PM

Green’s Pharmacy Luncheonette is located at 151 N. Country Road. It’s half pharmacy and half lunch counter open for breakfast and lunch. Green’s has been in business since 1938 and is across the street from St. Edward Catholic Church, the church the Kennedys attended.

The pharmacy section looks like an establishment fighting to survive against big chains. The lunch counter is something else, where very little has changed since it opened 80 years ago. There are about 12 Formica-topped tables and a long counter with stools covered in green vintage vinyl that look like the originals from when it first opened.

RELATED: On the menu at Green’s Pharmacy

The Lehrer family has owned a small apartment down the street, and we have frequented Green’s since the 1970s, beginning with my father. Every trip to Florida included breakfast at Green’s — a big adventure for our young daughters for whom a significant rite of passage was being allowed to go there on their own.

The menu is what you would expect, nothing unique with eggs every way imaginable, unlimited sandwiches featuring Hellman’s mayo, daily specials — all coming off one small, greasy griddle behind a tiny busy counter space. The morning grits and oatmeal are especially good served with honey and something that purports to be maple syrup.

What’s so special about this place?

Let’s start with the servers, where longevity is a badge of honor. There is no dress code. They wear clothes that they are comfortable in; expect to see favorite T-shirts or fun seasonal attire depending on the holiday. They are in constant motion and are always efficient and friendly, whether you are a regular or a first-timer. You are made to feel special. There is a warmth that they share as they serve you. But most importantly, everyone is treated equally. Pretensions get left behind at the entrance.

Now let’s turn to the customers, and here’s where the cross section of humanity comes together. You can be seated next to a retiree perhaps surviving on Social Security or a billionaire from a mega-mansion who has traveled the world on his/her yacht. Second and third generations of families come together. There are no airs here; everyone goes about their business of eating, reading newspapers and observing. Often conversations are struck up among total strangers exchanging views or sharing life experiences. People come and go, like a merry-go-round — new faces, new orders, but the background scene stays the same. It is unopinionated and nonjudgmental.

The griddle men scrape away the grease and cook another order. There is a democratic process of placing white order slips over the griddle, and no one has an advantage over anyone else. No favoritism here! The cooks care about what they are doing and are too busy to be involved in the dynamics of what is happening around them. Simply put, they are doing their job.

There is somewhat of an honor system. You take your check to the counter that also serves as the pharmacy checkout, pay your tab, add a cash tip and return it to the table. This small microcosm of humanity starts and stops every day. People talk to each other, work together, enter happy and leave happy. It’s an oasis and fulfilling experience that brings us back again and again…